4/8/2011-Clone Wars Story Arc-Part Two-The Basic Story “All Roads Lead to the Core”

Chess Game Cliché –The Heroes and Villain have to win the hearts and minds of the populas.

Cat n’ Mouse Cliché – The Villain is at the forefront of every conflict.

The Villain

The female Besalisk, Major Shahhat, is the villain of this story. By lumping Lucas’ Cannon about this species with the background of the Mythical Basilisk, which the species is tied to, creates a visual inhuman threat. Major Shahhat is an imposing creature on sight and her motivations are poisonous extensions of greed. An obese octopus destroying most of what is around her, while hording what is left. If a Hutt symbolizes complacent gluttony; then this Besalisk symbolizes resentful greed. Major Shahhat not only will take what you have, but is insulted by the fact that you have it. She is a large bloated six arm and four legged creature of hate that the heroes will need to overcome. Her troops and tactics reflect her personality.

The Story

With the Trade Federation controlling most of the Rimma Trade Route, the Separatist’s military leader Major Shahhat wants to move deeper into the galaxy. She desires to seize the riches of the Core Worlds, starting with Herglic Space. This sector, with an incredibly large docile species, can easily be a launching point to take opulent Core Worlds. Besides, Herglic Space’s luxury is nearly comparable to those of the Core Worlds; an appetizer before the entrée.

Her invasion begins before the Battle of Geonosis with poison and panic. Endorsed by Count Dooku and backed up financially by the Retail Caucus, Major Shahhat buys both; the means for propaganda and inter-sector manufacturing on 26 (of the 40) star systems. The first corporation, The HoloMarket Corp, has started a subversive crusade to create fear and panic through Holonet broadcasting. The Second corporation, The Enlighten Funding Foundation, is removing the middleclass while destroying the efficiency and quality of the sector’s manufacturing. After the Battle of Geonosis, Major Shahhat secretly moves her droid troops into the sector for her invasion.

Twists

The real twist within this story is that the troops are the Cat n’ Mouse. As the heroes pit their troops against the Separatist’s, Major Shahhat moves them around fairly effortlessly destroying anything she held. The real Chess Game is dealing with the population’s attitude, which means chipping away and undoing the propaganda and economical machine that Shahhat has set up.

Another twist about this story is that; as the heroes use the military, the more damage and change is inflicted on the population. Herglic Space starts out as a near utopian suburb, only to be slowly turned into a polarized military complex.

Turning species to stone is not really covered or apart of the Star Wars setting, you would have to use carbonite or something more syfy. The reasons I mention the basilisk is for one, to evoke imagery of the multiple arm monster that grabs several things at once and poisons them. My intention is to have Major Shahhat’s Command act in that numerous “long arm” manner. Additionally, Star Wars cannon suggest the species Besalisk can have more than six limbs and was created with the basilisk in mind. I felt it was important to indirectly reinforce those ideas, for all those non-Star Wars fanboys.

As a side note, the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the Elder mentions the basilisk of Cyrene , which is modern day Shahhat, Libya; which is where I got the name of the villian.

I can see a GM getting away with the stereotypical gorgon lair, filled with stone statues, in an indirect way. Maybe she commissions statues of those she has vanquished as trophies? Maybe she uses some sort of pulse weapon of mass destruction that leaves whole settlements as ashen statues? I can easily see heroes being horrified as they walk through a grey ash sculpted town.